A “Cold, Clinical” Kitchen Transforms Into a Cozy Space That Feels Like “a Warm Cup of Coffee”
Designer and HGTV star Galey Alix knew this project would come eventually. Years ago, when she worked as an executive at Goldman Sachs, she met a coworker who asked her for the surprise of a lifetime, a dream home renovation one day. At the time, it was an inside joke — something the friends could chat about at the office. But then Alix changed careers to become a designer, and her coworker found her forever home in Florida. Suddenly, these work pals had the chance to make this shared dream a reality.
“I jumped at the opportunity to surprise her,” Alix says. “I’m harping on the ‘surprise’ element here because I have a unique business model. At Galey Alix Design, we only do surprise home makeovers, and we typically complete it over a long three-day weekend.”
Prior to any big reveal, Alix spends a lot of time learning about her clients and how they want their space to function. In this case, though, she already knew the homeowner well and could see from the get-go that her existing kitchen didn’t suit her personality whatsoever. “The kitchen was new construction, which is great, but it was extremely cold, modern, and I’d even say clinical,” Alix says. “I wouldn’t use any of these adjectives to describe my client.”
The kitchen was set on the end of a large, open great room, beneath a tray ceiling and a high rectangular window, the only source of natural light into the space. All of the white cabinets were finished in a heavy lacquer, and there was no exposed hardware. But the worst part was that the entire installation stopped two feet short of the ceiling, creating a gap that made everything feel second-rate. Nevertheless, Alix saw potential.
“The tray ceiling is the perfect canvas for adding a distinguishing feature,” she says. “I also loved that the fridge and freezer were paneled to match the rest of the lacquered cabinets. Having panel-ready appliances is a game-changer when it comes to kitchens because it keeps the lines clean and reduces some of the unnecessary visual noise.”
The lacquered cabinetry was delivered from Italy over the course of eight months, and given that Alix only had a few days to renovate, she had to think much faster than going to the original source. She came up with the idea to fill the gaps above the cabinetry with custom cubby-like cabinets, which would coordinate with the stain of the new wood detailing on the tray ceiling.
Glass fronts on the cubby cabinets allow for items to be safely on display, including an oversize Pottery Barn basket, a Pottery Barn weathered vessel, and an Amber Lewis x Four Hands vase. Matching curved shelving on the kitchen’s edge make it all feel more inviting.
“Because the kitchen felt cold with the tile floor and modern white cabinets, I wanted to introduce warm wood tones to soften the energy,” Alix says. “It’s also worth noting the cabinets are mostly glass because it’s reflective — like the lacquer on the lower cabinets — so they didn’t feel too out of place. I also made sure the wood framing on these cabinets were thin and without any exposed hardware to avoid clashing styles.”
If there’s one detail in this space Alix didn’t see coming, it was an easy DIY. The sink’s faucet and the handles for the refrigerator and freezer came in brushed nickel, but Alix chose aged brass throughout the rest of the home. She knew how hard it would be to replace these three components — let alone how wasteful it was, considering they’re brand new. So she changed their look with a tried-and-true product.
“The solution was Rub ‘n Buff,” she says. “It was my first time using it, and it was a win I really needed during this install because I was panicking about replacing the new hardware.” Finally, as one small-but-impactful choice, Alix placed two McGee & Co. Scarlett Pendants instead of three over the island to make sure the spotlight stayed on the room’s cabinetry and woodwork.
“My biggest takeaway is that incorporating wood into your design is always a phenomenal way to infuse warmth into an otherwise cold room,” she says. “Oh, and one more important way to add warmth to any kitchen is to get an elevated runner. When I see small rectangle mats in front of a sink or oven, I feel like it’s such a missed opportunity.”
While renovating a kitchen in a few days would be a challenge for anyone, especially when it’s for a friend, Alix is glad that she was able to fulfill the plans they made a long time ago — and in only seven days at that! Alix likens the space to “a warm cup of coffee” on her personal blog, and she’s incredibly happy with the results — as is her friend and former co-worker. “When she asked me to surprise her with a newly designed home, she had no concept of what this kitchen was going to look like,” she says. “But I was determined to make sure she’d love it.”